Secrecy shrouds trial of Allamjonov assassination attempt as security apparatus faces scrutiny in most politically charged trial in recent Uzbek history
“This case, shrouded in secrecy and marked by allegations of torture and coerced confessions, is rapidly evolving into one of the most politically charged trials in recent Uzbek history” - Radha Stirling.
The highly secretive trial over the assassination attempt on Komil Allamjonov has officially begun, marking one of the most politically charged cases in Uzbekistan’s recent history. With court proceedings shrouded in opacity and limited public access, scrutiny has mounted over the handling of the case and the glaring failures of the country’s security apparatus. As speculation swirls and key details remain undisclosed, the trial is set to test the credibility of both the judiciary and the government’s commitment to transparency.
“At this point, it is known that the judge is personally reading out Alamjonov’s testimony from the preliminary investigation,” reported Radha Stirling, founder of Due Process International and Detained in Dubai. According to informed sources, including Ms. Stirling, defense lawyers have been unable to secure the former presidential official’s appearance in court to testify as a witness, as the judges continue to reject their motions.
The failed assassination attempt on Alamjonov—and, as has now been revealed, on the head of NAPP, Dmitry Li, as well—has led to the downfall of nearly the entire upper echelon of the country’s security apparatus. Many of them have ended up in the defendant’s chair, and for some, that is the best possible outcome.
Following the attack, Shukhrat Rasulov, the former head of the Internal Security Directorate of the Presidential Security Service, was detained under highly unusual circumstances. Rasulov told the court that his arrest was a complete shock—he was not under investigation and had not been declared a fugitive. On November 26, he was summoned to the office of a powerful Uzbek businessman, philanthropist, and the main beneficiary of Asia Alliance Bank, one of the country’s largest financial institutions—Kamo Tumasov, who is considered highly influential within the country’s elite. Also present at the meeting was Dmitry Li, the head of the National Agency for Perspective Projects under the President of Uzbekistan.”
On January 30, 2025, a closed session of the military court was held to examine the criminal case concerning the organized assassination attempt on Komil Allamjonov, the former head of the Information Department of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan. According to human rights activist Abdurakhman Tashanov, who reported the development on his Facebook account, the trial is taking place under conditions of “absolute secrecy.” He noted that despite the large number of defendants, the gravity of the charges, and their public significance, secrecy remains in place.
Human rights organizations, relying on credible sources, have established that the primary victim, Komil Allamjonov—the target of the armed attack—has failed to appear in court, despite being summoned three times. The official reasons for his absence remain unclear. These same sources, who are in contact with human rights advocates, including the private investigative team of renowned international human rights defender Radha Stirling, report that the judge has been reading out Allamjonov’s testimony from the preliminary investigation. According to Stirling, defense attorneys have been unable to secure the former presidential official’s appearance in court as a witness, as judges have repeatedly denied their motions.
The attempted assassination of Allamjonov—and, as has now been revealed, of Dmitry Li, head of the National Agency for Perspective Projects (NAPP)—has led to the near-total collapse of the country’s security leadership. Many high-ranking officials have been placed on trial, which, for some, is the best possible outcome. Following the attack, Shukhrat Rasulov, the former head of the Internal Security Directorate of the Presidential Security Service, was detained under highly suspicious circumstances. Rasulov told the court that his arrest came as a complete shock—he was not under investigation and had not been declared a fugitive. On November 26, he was summoned to the office of Kamo Tumasov, a powerful Uzbek businessman, philanthropist, and the principal beneficiary of Asia Alliance Bank, one of the country’s largest financial institutions. Tumasov, considered highly influential within Uzbekistan’s ruling elite, was also joined by Dmitry Li, the head of NAPP.
For reasons still unclear, Tumasov and Li informed Rasulov that testimony had been obtained implicating him in organizing the assassination attempt against both Allamjonov and Li. However, they assured him that they did not believe the accusations and considered them false. Yet, in a scene reminiscent of Eastern intrigue, as Rasulov left the meeting, he was apprehended by law enforcement officers. That same day, an official arrest warrant was issued for him. From November 26 to December 25, Rasulov was held in solitary confinement at the State Security Service (DXX) detention facility, where he was subjected to torture and coerced into confessing to organizing the assassination attempt on Allamjonov.
According to Ms Stirling, who cites witness testimony and sources familiar with the investigation, Rasulov was forced to confess under duress that he had arranged the assassination attempt on the orders of Otabek Umarov, the husband of the president’s youngest daughter, and that he had transferred money to the perpetrators. In court, Rasulov recanted, stating that he had confessed under torture but that the allegations were entirely false. Rasulov further revealed that between December 25 and December 31 of the previous year, he was held in the basement of the Tashkent Police Department, where Ministry of Internal Affairs officers brutally beat him, placed a plastic bag over his head, and demanded that he write a statement accusing Otabek Umarov of corruption. When Rasulov protested, arguing that Umarov was a close associate of the president and that he could not fabricate such accusations, the beatings intensified.
At the conclusion of his testimony, Rasulov expressed fear that he would once again be subjected to torture upon his return to the State Security Service detention center.
Radha Stirling specifically highlighted the names of officers involved in Rasulov’s coercive interrogation: Saidakbar Pulatov, along with operatives Shukhrat Nigmatov and Yeldost.
Other defendants in the case have also testified that they were pressured into giving false statements against Otabek Umarov. One of the defendants, Javlon Yunusov, accused of leading a criminal group, told the judge that he, too, was tortured and forced to testify against the president’s daughter, Shakhnosa, and Otabek Umarov. “This case, shrouded in secrecy and marked by allegations of torture and coerced confessions, is rapidly evolving into one of the most politically charged trials in recent Uzbek history”, concluded Stirling.
